OPTICALLY INTEGRATING PIXEL MICROSTRUCTURE

摘要

An integrated optical microstructure includes a substrate (245) carrying an optical waveguide (240) and supporting a medium (210) disposed to receive optical energy from the waveguide. The medium includes an optical re-radiato r such as a phosphor (225), which re-radiates optical energy in response to optical energy received from the waveguide. The structure further includes a reflector (250, 255, 260) disposed to redirect some of the input optical energy emanating from the medium back into the medium, to achieve spatial confinement of the input light delivered by the input waveguide. The structu re can thereby increase the efficiency of the light conversion processes of re- radiating materials. An aperture (235) in the reflector permits optical ener gy emitted by the re-radiator to emerge from the structure and to propagate in a preferred direction, such as toward a viewer or sensor. The structure is useful for increasing the brightness of various kinds of small emissive elements which are excited by light delivered from an integrated optical waveguide, including pixels in an information display.